Erev Shabbat Ma'ariv
Friday Night Evening Service
Ma'ariv
Friday Night Ma'ariv
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Aleinu
Commentary
The Aleinu prayer was written at a time when Jews were persecuted by followers of Pagan religions who believed in an array of gods and the divinity of the king. Aleinu expresses the essential Jewish belief that God is One and expresses hope for the day when idol worshippers will join those who share our belief in One God.
Today, idolatry is not simply the worship of wood and stone deities but it is also the worship of things, ideas and people, including: power, money, celebrity, nationalism and science. Blind faith in a political or religious leader is another kind of idol worship.
Commentary by Rabbi Daniella Kolodny
from the Noam Siddur
אבל: יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא. [קהל: אמן]
בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ בְּחַיֵּיכון וּבְיומֵיכון וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשרָאֵל בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]
קהל ואבל: יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא
אבל: יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרומַם וְיִתְנַשּא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא. בְּרִיךְ הוּא. [קהל: בריך הוא:]
לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]
יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]
עושה שָׁלום בִּמְרומָיו הוּא יַעֲשה שָׁלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: [קהל: אמן]
Mourner: Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’meih raba.
All: Amen.
Mourner: B’alma di v’ra chiruteih, v’yamlich malchuteih b’chayeichon uvyomeichon uv’chayei d’chol beit Yisrael, ba-agala uvizman kariv, v’imru amen.
All: Amen. Y’hei sh’meih raba m’varach l’alam ul-almei almaya.
Mourner: Yitbarach v’yishtabach v’yitpa-ar v’yitromam v’yitnasei v’yit-hadar v’yit-aleh v’yit-halal shmei d’kudsha b’rich Hu
All repeat: b’rich Hu
Mourner: L’eila min kol birchata v’shirata, tush b’chata v’nechemata, da-amiran b’alma, v’imru amen
All repeat: Amen
Mourner: Y’hei sh’lama raba min sh’maya, v’chayimaleinu v’alkol Yisrael, v’al kol yoshvei tevel, v’imru amen
All repeat: Amen
Mourner: Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu v’alkol Yisrael,
(v’al kol yoshvei teivel)
v’imru amen
All repeat: Amen
Let the greatness and wonder of the awareness of God shine forth in the world (Amen) created by God’s will, and let the presence of God be sovereign in our lives and in our days and in the lives of all of Israel, now, in the near time, and say ‘Amen’.
‘Amen; may God’s great name be blessed for ever and evermore.’
Blessed, praised, adorned in glory; raised up, raised high, set radiant in beauty, held aloft in praise, be the name of the Holy One, the Blessed One, beyond all the blessings, lyrics, praises and heart-healing songs ever uttered, and say ‘Amen’.
May a great peace descend from heaven so that we, all Israel and all the world may live, and say ‘Amen’
May God, who makes peace in the heights above, bring peace for us and for all Israel and all the world, and say ‘Amen’.
Translation by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
from the Noam Siddur
Commentary
What’s the point?
That’s the issue to which the Kaddish is addressed. It answers not with arguments but with one single overwhelming conviction: life is full of wonder, God’s presence can shine out in every moment, every thing and every deed. This, it tells us tens of times in our prayers each day, is the truth at the heart of existence, the realisation at the core of consciousness: so make it real in all you do.
This question is most poignant of all for the mourner. Why bother without you? What am I doing here, this half of me, this severed remnant of a person? Eleven months of Kaddish tries to wrap the bandage of community and meaning around this deepest, sharpest of all wounds. Life is still life; it’s still meaningful, it’s still holy, the Kaddish insists. You will hear life sing again, one day, soon. And your life is part of the life of your people; its wonders transcend our swift days.
Commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
from the Noam Siddur
יִגְדַּל אֱלהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח
נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתו
Yigdal Elohim chai v’yishtabach,
nimtza v’ein eit el m’tzi-uto.
אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדו
נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוף לְאַחְדוּתו
Echad v’ein yachid k’yichudo,
nelam v’gam ein sof l’achduto.
אֵין לו דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינו גוּף
לא נַעֲרךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתו
Ein lo d’mut haguf v’eino guf,
lo na-aroch eilav k’dushato.
קַדְמון לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא
רִאשׁון וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתו
Kadmon l’chol davar asher nivra
rishon v’ein reishit l’reishito.
הִנּו אֲדון עולָם לְכָל נוצָר
יורֶה גְדֻלָּתו וּמַלְכוּתו
Hino adon olam v’chol notzar
yoreh g’dulato umalchuto.
שֶׁפַע נְבוּאָתו נְתָנו
אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתו וְתִפְאַרְתּו
Shefa n’vu-ato n’tano,
El anshei s’gulato v’tif-arto.
לא קָם בְּיִשרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה עוד
נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת תְּמוּנָתו
Lo kam b’Yisra-el k’moshe od
navi umabit et t’munato.
תּורַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּו אֵל
עַל יַד נְבִיאו נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתו
Torat emet natan l’amo El
al yad n’vi-o ne-eman beito.
לא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלא יָמִיר דָּתו
לְעולָמִים לְזוּלָתו
Lo yachalif ha-El v’lo yamir dato
l’olamim l’zulato.
צופֶה וְיודֵעַ סְתָרֵינוּ
מַבִּיט לְסוף דָּבָר בְְַּקַדְמָתו
Tzofeh v’yodei-a s’tareinu
mabit l’sof davar b’kadmato.
גּומֵל לְאִישׁ חֶסֶד כְּמִפְעָלו
נותֵן לְרָשָׁע רַע כְּרִשְׁעָתו
Gomeil l’ish chesed k’mif-alo
notein l’rasha ra k’rish-ato.
יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָּמִין מְשִׁיחֵנוּ
לִפְדּות מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתו
Yishlach l’keitz yamin m’shicheinu
lifdot m’chakei keitz y’shu-ato.
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרב חַסְדּו
בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתו
Meitim y’chayeh El b’rov chasdo
baruch adei ad Sheim t’hilato.